Ottawa to warn Canadians against international travel; PM looks at tightening border

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government will warn Canadians against international travel and is considering tightening the border to some international travellers to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Trudeau told Radio-Canada's Montreal morning show on Friday (March 13). 

As for whether Canada will close its borders entirely, Trudeau said: "We are in the midst of looking at this."

"As you've seen, there are recommendations not to travel outside of Canada. We're in the midst of co-ordinating with the Americans, obviously, on our borders, on our actions. We'll continue to evaluate what we can do and how we can keep Canadians in security and we won't close the door on any idea," Trudeau told CBC. 

Trudeau is currently in self-isolation at home as his wife, Sophie, recently tested positive for COVID-19. The Prime Minister has also confirmed that he is showing no symptoms of the virus. 

Trudeau added that his government is looking to establish national guidelines that limits the spread of the coronavirus across the country, CBC reported. 

Meanwhile, Canada's military has banned international travel for personnel over coronavirus fears, the Globe and Mail reported Friday. 

“The reason why we’re doing this and taking it is so seriously is the health system is telling all Canadians that we really have to work to flatten that curve to protect the most vulnerable in our population. So I don’t want the military, because of our travel, to be a vector where someone goes out and contracts the disease and then it gets to someone’s grandmother and she passes away,” Chief of the Defence Staff Jonathan Vance told The Globe.

All Canadian Armed Forces members will be barred from travelling internationally for three weeks, reports say.  

After the World Health Organization declared the global outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic., U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that the U.S. was banning travellers from most parts of Europe, excluding the United Kingdom. 

The State Department also issued a global health advisory, alerting U.S. citizens to "reconsider travel abroad" due to COVID-19.